Company, Comfort and Coffee
by MagicFairyGirl8
Summary: Set between series 1 and 2; Jack is gone, how do those left behind cope without him? Ianto/Gwen friendship, tiny Jack/Ianto and even tinier Gwen/Jack. R&R please!


Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with the legends that are Doctor Who and Torchwood except my DVDs and overactive imagination, although I would love to!

Ok this is a short one-shot set somewhere between series 1 and 2 of Torchwood while Jack is away with the Doctor and Martha. Minor SPOILER for End of Days.

Please R&R, I would love to hear what people think. Okay enough of that: hope you enjoy!

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**Company, Comfort and Coffee**

"Night you lot." Owen called over his shoulder as he pulled on his jacket and headed out the cog doors.

"Goodnight Owen." Toshiko responded, closing down her computer. "Night Gwen, Ianto."

"Night Tosh." Gwen said with a smile. "Good work today, both of you." She added, turning to face Ianto, who was busy tidying up. He nodded in recognition as Gwen grabbed her bag and followed Toshiko out of the Hub. Ianto waved them out the door and went back to his duties.

When the two women stepped out into the cool Cardiff evening from the tourist information shop, Owen was already gone. Gwen bid her friend a last goodbye before they went their separate ways, both heading home.

Back at her flat, Gwen treated herself to a nice, relaxing soak in the tub, before pulling on her pyjamas and settling down with a glass of wine in front of the TV. Rhys was away at his parents' house for the week, so she had the place to herself. Gwen realised just how much she missed him when he wasn't around.

And talking of people she was missing... it had been nearly three months since Jack had vanished from the Hub. They hadn't had a choice but to carry on like normal – well, as normal as Torchwood ever was – despite not knowing where he had gone. As yet another ad break started on the TV, Gwen's thoughts drifted back to that day...

"_I thought we tidied up in here?!" Owen commented as he, Tosh and Ianto returned with the coffees._

"_Did you see Jack on your way in?" Gwen asked, looking around the Hub in confusion. _

"_No." The team all gazed around at the now windswept Hub. Jack was nowhere to be seen._

"_He was just here... Something's taken him: Jack's gone." _

Had Jack's "right kind of doctor" turned up? But why would he have left without telling them what was happening? What if something was wrong? Jack might not be able to die but all the same... Gwen knew only too well the type of trouble he could get himself into. She wished – not for the first time – that he would come back. It just wasn't the same without him. Torchwood needed him. She needed him.

Making up her mind, Gwen switched off the TV and stuck her untouched glass of white back in the fridge. She got dressed again, grabbed her keys and left the silent flat.

Letting herself into the underground base through the tourist entrance, Gwen hurried down into the main area. Just being here made her feel closer to Jack.

Ianto looked up in surprise as the cog doors rolled open.

"Gwen? What are you doing back here?" She looked a little uncertain.

"It was just too quiet at home." She admitted, putting her bag on her desk and her coat on the back of her chair.

"Well, you're just in time; there's a pizza on its way. I'm sure there'll be enough for two." Ianto offered.

"Thanks. Sure I'm not intruding on your private time doing... whatever it is you do when we all leave?" He laughed.

"No, it can wait until tomorrow." Although slightly curious as to what Ianto really did get up to when the rest of the team went home, Gwen didn't want to pry. Or maybe she didn't want to know. Reading her thoughts, Ianto elaborated.

"I've been going through all the old records in the archives." He explained. "Re-organising; the filing system leaves a lot to be desired." Gwen smiled, impressed but not surprised by Ianto's dedication. "Found a lot of interesting documents actually." He went on.

"Really? About what?"

"Jack." Now Gwen's interest was heightened.

"So...?" Ianto handed her a cup of coffee and they both sat down on the old worn couch in the corner. "What did you find out?"

"Well, there are lots of records of missions that he went on, back when he was a regular employee like you and me."

"I doubt Jack was ever a regular employee." Gwen put in, smiling.

"No." Ianto agreed. "And he evidently wasn't very good at following orders."

"I can imagine!" He laughed again, before resuming his story. He told Gwen about some of the things he had read about Jack, the creatures he had encountered, the other Torchwood officers he had got into disagreements with. It was so rare that they found out anything about their leader's past, so the few shreds of evidence Ianto had come across, he shared with Gwen. He knew that it wouldn't change how she saw Jack; they both cared about him enormously.

At the sound of the doorbell, Gwen went to fetch the pizza, while Ianto made more coffee. As they ate and drank, the two of them talked about lots of things; about the team, about the work, about Tosh and Owen's unrealised love for one another... and about Jack.

"Do you think he's ever going to come back?" Ianto asked after a while, breaking the comfortable silence that had descended on the Hub once the last of the pizza had been eaten. Gwen looked at him.

"Yes." She answered. "I don't believe he would abandon us without good reason. He wouldn't have left unless it was for something really important to him, so I trust him."

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't rather know what was going on though." Ianto pointed out.

"Yeah. I just hope... wherever he is, that he's alright."

"Me too."

I miss him." Gwen said quietly.

"I do too." Ianto told her. "He will come back soon, I know he will."

"I hope so. I'm really glad you're here Ianto." Gwen said, touching his hand softly. He locked his fingers with hers, squeezing her hand gently.

"Same." Ianto smiled and Gwen leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"We're lucky, we've got each other and Tosh and Owen. What if Jack doesn't have anyone?" Gwen asked.

"Charming, funny, attractive man like that? Nah, he'll be fighting them off." She laughed.

"You really love him don't you?"

"I just hope he doesn't forget about me, wherever he is." Ianto responded, without really answering her question.

"Charming, funny, attractive man like you? Never." She said, and they both laughed.

They both missed Jack, and constantly worried about where he was and what he might be going through, but they knew that they had to keep going. Torchwood couldn't fall apart just because he wasn't here, they had to stay to help defend the city. Besides, knowing Jack as well as they did, Gwen and Ianto had no doubt that he would turn up at some point, probably when they least expected it. But until he did, they were just glad that they had each other; for company, for comfort, or at the very least, for really good coffee.


End file.
